Best Acne Products

Fight Off Acne For Good With These Game-Changing Products

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Acne: No one likes it, and everyone deals with it. Chances are that you’ve suffered through at least a couple of bad pimples at some point in your life, and it’s never any fun. But when you’re looking to treat your acne, sometimes it can seem like every product out there just doesn’t work. Is there something wrong with your skin, or are you just not looking in the right place?

Luckily, finding a great acne product just takes a little know-how about how your skin operates, what types of acne you’re fighting and how quickly you’re hoping to treat your skin. First and foremost, you have to diagnose what skin type you are.

Additionally, it’s important to find skin products that match the type of acne you’re dealing with:

Pimple: A basic red (sometimes painful) bump.

Blackhead: A small, black bump in your skin.

Whitehead: Similar to a blackhead, except white.

Cystic acne: Deep-seated acne that’s further into your pores than the average pimple.

Acne scars: Inflamed parts of the skin often leftover from a pimple.

Lastly, it’s crucial to differentiate between the different types of common acne-fighting ingredients seen in most products:

Salicylic acid: Increases moisture in the skin and dissolves bacteria, dirt and other particles.

Alcohol: Dries out the skin and gets rid of bacteria.

Lots of acne products also use different oils, minerals, and ingredients to exfoliate, moisturize and unclog the skin.

Armed with all of this information, you’ll be able to find the acne treatment that’s best for you. Need a few suggestions? Check out these 15 acne-fighting products below.

Neutrogena Skin-Clearing Acne Wash

Best for: Fighting acne before it springs upWhat you should know: It’s best to use over a longer period of timeThe Verdict: Acne begins to form long before big red blemishes start showing up on the surface on your skin, and Neutrogena’s Skin-Clearing Acne Wash is here to clarify your skin and minimize breakouts before they become a big deal. This cleanser uses a 2% salicylic acid solution to do the job, so it’s good for long-term use.$16.81 at Amazon.com

Anthony Purifying Astringent Pads

Best for: Pore de-cloggingWhat you should know: There’s alcohol in it, which can be dryingThe Verdict: Warm weather, humidity, dirt and grime can easily cause your pores to become clogged and congested during the day, and if you’re not using a deep-acting cleanser, you might not be cleaning your face as well as you should. Anthony Purifying Astringent Pads are a cool and calming way to get the gunk out of every pore, plus there’s nothing better than looking at a used pad and seeing all that grime. One word of advice, however: Astringents can be drying due to their use of alcohol, so be sure to moisturize afterwards.$26.00 at Birchbox.com

Kiehl’s Men’s Oil Eliminator Deep Cleansing Exfoliating Face Wash

Best for: Getting rid of oilWhat you should know: It’s sulfate- and paraben-freeThe Verdict: If you’re looking for an all-natural cleanser that’ll get rid of any excess oil, Kiehl’s Oil Eliminator Deep Cleansing Exfoliating Face Wash is just for you. It minimizes pores without completely stripping the skin of its natural oils, and it also has a clean, fresh scent that’ll make you feel a little fancier.$22.00 at Birchbox.com

TreeActiv Face Exfoliating Scrub Pads

Best for: A quick fixWhat you should know: These pads use all-natural ingredientsThe Verdict: Blackheads might not be as immediately noticeable as that giant red bump on your chin, but they’re often much trickier to get rid of. TreeActiv’s pads can be more effective than long-term cleansers or creams, and you can often spot-treat places you want to get to first. If you’re sensitive to the chemicals found in most acne products, you can rest assured knowing that these pads use all-natural ingredients.$13.30 at Amazon.com

Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel

Best for: Spot treatmentsWhat you should know: Make sure to use sunscreen when spot-treatingThe Verdict: Want to get rid of that huge red pimple on your forehead ASAP? Instead of covering your entire face in in acne treatments, spot-treat with Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel instead. The gel combines salicylic acid with aloe, arnica, licorice, glycolic acid and retinyl palmitate to stop acne in its tracks while also soothing irritated skin.$54.00 at Sephora.com

Billy Jealousy Assassin Deep Exfoliating Scrub

Best for: Buffing away dead skin and dirtWhat you should know: The formula contains sugar cane and lemon extractThe Verdict: Clogged pores are the root of all acne, so if you want a deep-cleaning treatment that’ll buff away all the dead skin, dirt and other grime, the Billy Jealousy Assassin Deep Exfoliating Scrub should be at the top of your list. Its sugar cane, walnut shells, almond meal and lemon extract formula buffs away skin irritants, leaving your pores clean and clear.$25.00 at Birchbox.com

Kyoku for Men Lava Masque Acne Treatment

Best for: InflammationWhat you should know: It uses 73 minerals and volcanic mudThe Verdict: Irritated and inflamed skin is often one of the biggest concerns with acne, which is why Kyoku’s Lava Masque employs 73 sea minerals and Japanese volcanic mud to penetrate pores while also leaving skin smooth, soft, and even-toned.$9.12 at Amazon.com

Marihata Binchotan Charcoal Face Scrub Towel

Best for: Getting in hard-to-reach placesWhat you should know: It comes with two different texturesThe Verdict: One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to washing their faces is not cleaning long enough or deep enough to get rid of all the dirt and grime stuck in their pores. This towel comes with two different sides (a course one for normal skin and a softer one for sensitive skin) to buff the skin’s surface and stop acne before it starts.$9.00 at Birchbox.com

Neutralyze Moderate to Severe Acne Clearing Serum

Best for: Severe acneWhat you should know: It contains prescription-grade acne-fighting ingredientsThe Verdict: Using a combination of salicylic acid, nitric oxide and mandelic acid, Neutralyze’s serum get deeper into the pores than other acne products to get rid of cystic acne, blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, acne scars and more.$21.10 at Amazon.com

BPT3.1 Tea Tree Oil Moisturizer

Best for: Dry skinWhat you should know: It’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatoryThe Verdict: If you deal with dry skin as well as acne, it can be difficult to find a single product that can both fight the inflamed areas on your face while also keeping your skin hydrated. BPT3.1’s moisturizer does both of these, combining a water-based benzoyl peroxide formula with tea tree oil, macadamia oil, shea butter, jojoba oil and witch hazel to moisturize and soothe skin.$19.50 at Amazon.com

Clinique Oil Control Face Wash

Best for: Oily skinWhat you should know: Use it pre-shaveThe Verdict: People with oily skin often face two big problems: They have to get rid of the excess oil from their skin that’s clogging their pores, while also not getting rid of so much oil that it causes drying and other negative effects. Clinique’s Oil Control Face Wash is a happy medium that can be used daily to keep skin smooth and clear but not over-dried.$17.00 at Sephora.com

Clarisonic Alpha Fit Facial Cleansing Brush

Best for: The ultimate cleanWhat you should know: You’ll have to replace the head regularlyThe Verdict: Your skin doesn’t get much cleaner than being scrubbed down by an actual micropulsing brush, so if you want the clearest skin possible and also want to get a closer shave, Clarisonic’s Alpha Fit Facial Cleansing Brush may be perfect for your skin.$219.00 at Amazon.com

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